The Handicapped Student in America's Colleges: A Longitudinal Analysis. Part 1. Disabled 1978 College Freshmen.

Lawrence, Judith K.; And Others

Responses of approximately 5,000 disabled freshmen who, when they entered college as first-time, full-time students in 1978, completed the Student Information Form (SIF) comprise this longitudinal study of the disabled student in higher education. Contents are as follows: (1) Introduction (overview, methodology, and sample); (2) Comparisons by Disability Status, Gender, and by Disability Area (demographic characteristics, family background, high school background, college choice and freshman residence, college finances, college plans and expectations, and attitudes and values); (3) Comparisons by Disability Status, and by Level and Control of Institution (demographic characteristics and family background, high school background, college choice and freshman residence, college finances, college plans and expectations, and attitudes and values); (4) Summary of Findings (disabled and nondisabled freshmen, profiles of the eight disability groups, and profiles of disabled and nondisabled entrants to the six institutional types, and implications). Among the findings are: disabled freshmen were somewhat more likely to register at 2 year colleges, but were represented at all types of higher education institutions; men slightly outnumbered women in the disabled group; disabled students were at a slight disadvantage vis-a-vis nondisabled students with respect to educational preparation; disabled students were more likely to possess the characteristics of "nontraditional college students" and to evidence less financial dependence on their parents; politically, the disabled were less likely than the nondisabled to characterize themselves as middle-of-the-road; the disabled were more likely to live in private housing; and the disabled, despite their slight socioeconomic and educational disadvantages, had high aspirations, and tended to prefer more traditional academic fields. Appendices include: 1978 Student Information Form; father's occupation; mother's occupation; major; student occupation; region categories; and 1981 follow-up survey of 1978 disabled freshmen. References are provided. (LC)